Early to Mid 20th Century Decorative Arts Auction
Thursday, 5 - Thursday, 12 October 2023
Early Giovanni DeSimone of Italy figural sculpture
Current Bid $140 (24 bids, reserve met)
This lot is now closed 12 Oct 8:04 PM (NZST)
Buyer premium and GST is additional to your bid.
All bids are subject to our buyer terms and conditions
Lot Details
Early Giovanni DeSimone of Italy figural sculpture. A well glazed mid-century example not a later edition by his daughters. Fully signed beneath along with a model code 301A. Measuring 145mm tall Giovanni DeSimone was born in 1930 in Palermo, Italy (Sicily) to a pair of Italian aristocrats. As a young child he travelled to Somalia, and his experiences there clearly stuck with him and inspired his life’s work, which demonstrates an appreciation of primitivism and the cubist movement that was popularized by Picasso, Matisse and Gauguin in the early 1900s. DeSimone relocated to Emilia-Romagna following WWII, where he then enrolled in famed Istituto d’Arte per la Ceramica in Faenza. It was there he found his life’s calling; pottery became his passion. After completing his studies, he and his family returned to Sicily. Nostalgic for his native land now seen through adult eyes, Giovanni finally felt at home. It is here in Palermo that DeSimone meets the love of his life, Eliana, who eventually becomes his wife. Together they created three beautiful daughters, Susanna, Margherita and Rosita. The DeSimone ceramics studio began in the 1960s and produced both dinnerware and serving pieces as well as decorative tiles and larger panels. During his most prolific period, there was anywhere from four to six artisans who worked for him and helped with production. The colours and themes were consistent throughout, though each decorator had their own style. Giovanni would typically sign his work “DeSimone” DeSimone passed away in 1991, but his legacy continues through his daughters Susanna and Margherita, who operate La Fabbrica della Ceramica; still located in Palermo, Sicily.
